President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday publicly drew a line between family ties and public office, declaring “I am not the president of my family, or my friends, but of the Filipino people,” as he revealed that the Ombudsman is preparing multiple charges against the “former speaker” over the multibillion-peso flood control scandal — a reference to his cousin, former House Speaker Martin Romualdez. The declaration, delivered during his nearly 90‑minute State of the Nation Address (SoNA) in Filipino and English, was one of the speech’s most charged moments, underscoring Marcos’s bid to project his independence from even his closest allies while defending his administration’s sweeping anti‑corruption campaign.

Without naming Romualdez, Marcos said the Ombudsman was preparing to file multiple cases against the former House leader. He noted that contractors, senior Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) officials, and lawmakers linked to anomalous flood control projects have already been charged and jailed.

The President said the investigation was carried out “without fear or favor,” insisting that the authorities followed the evidence where it led. He added that the prosecution would now be left to the Ombudsman, the strengthened National Prosecution Service, and the courts.

“Masakit man sa akin ito ngunit kailangan nating gawin ang tama. Hindi ako pangulo ng aking pamilya, hindi ako Pangulo ng aking kaibigan. Ako ay Pangulo ng Pilipinas; ang tungkulin ko ay sa inyo, mga kapwa kong Pilipino,” the President said.

The statement marked Marcos’s clearest public indication yet that the government’s anti-graft drive would spare no one, not even members of his own family, amid mounting scrutiny over billions of pesos allegedly lost to ghost, substandard, and overpriced flood control projects.

Marcos said nearly P25 billion in funds and assets tied to the accused have been recovered, frozen, or preserved, with more than P800 million returned to the National Treasury, and he promised that the recovered money would be redirected to programs benefiting the public.

He, however, did not address the allegations of fugitive former lawmaker Zaldy Co who accused the President and Romualdez of being behind the corruption scheme.

In a brief statement he issued after the President’s speech, Romualdez said, “Masakit man ito sa aming pamilya, iginagalang ko ang naging pahayag ng Pangulo. Hindi ako kailanman humingi ng pabor o espesyal na pagtrato” (It may pain our family, but I respect the President’s statement. I never asked for favors or special treatment).

Pursuit of justice

The President said the earlier filing of cases against erring government officials was a product of in-depth investigations and scrutiny, and the pursuit of evidence.

“Lahat ng kailangang gawin ay ginawa natin upang matunton ang puno’t dulo. Mayroon nang mga unang nakasuhan at nakulong: mga kontratista; matataas na opisyal ng DPWH; pati na ang mga mambabatas (We did everything to get to the bottom of things. Some have been charged and jailed; contractors, DPWH officials, including lawmakers),” he said.

“Kaakibat ng mga naisampang mga kaso, tiniyak ng inyong pamahalaan na mababawi mula sa mga nagsabwatan ang nakuha nilang pera ng taumbayan (Along with the cases, the government will recover the people’s money that was stolen),” the President added.